Egypt’s political leaders met on Sunday after next month’s presidential election was thrown into turmoil with key candidates disqualified and the fate of a new constitution hanging in limbo.
Military ruler Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi met the heads of 17 political parties and groups and MPs to discuss major developments ahead of the first presidential poll since a popular uprising ousted long-time leader Hosni Mubarak last year.
According to a military source, the powerful Muslim Brotherhood, whose candidate Khairat al-Shater was barred from running for office, attended the meeting as well as Al-Nur party, which represents the more conservative brand of Salafi Islam.
On Saturday, Egypt’s election commission said that 10 of the 23 registered presidential candidates had been barred from the race, including ex-spy chief Omar Suleiman, Shater and popular Salafist politician Hazem Abu Ismail. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) headed by Tantawi, that took power when Mubarak was ousted is also to examine a law passed by parliament that would ban members of the former regime from standing for office. If approved, the law could also see Ahmed Shafiq — Mubarak’s last prime minister — excluded from the May 23-24 election.
